Monday
Mar172008
The Next Attack
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 05:03AM 
Under Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives passed its version of legislation to renew electronic surveillance regulations. The crucial difference between House and Senate versions is that the House refuses to grant retroactive legal immunity to telecom companies that comply with government investigators. President Bush has stated that he will veto legislation that does not grant the immunity, because the cooperation of telecom companies is vital to surveillance that protects this nation from terror attacks. Speaker Pelosi has said, "The President is wrong. He knows our bill protects the American people."
In fact, what the House bill protects is trial lawyers, the Democrats’ stalwart allies and campaign contributors. With 40 pending lawsuits against telecom companies that have cooperated with government investigations, the lawyers have a great deal of money to lose if the companies named gain immunity from such lawsuits. The lawyers will be cheering for the House version, and the lucrative legal feeding frenzy that is sure to follow.
But the attorneys’ joy certainly won’t match that of our country’s enemies, who are experts at exploiting laws that guarantee our freedom. You can bet they are following every debate and vote on this legislation, because every obstacle to electronic surveillance makes their mission to attack this country that much easier. And it would not be surprising to learn that jihadists or their sympathizers are party to some of those 40 lawsuits.
Polls show that terrorism is no longer a top concern for Americans–it has been replaced by concerns about the economy. Our government has done such a good job of fighting, suppressing, investigating, and infiltrating terrorist organizations that the enemy has not been able to mount a major attack against us since 9/11. That triumph is a credit to the military and government agencies that fight these battles every day, but they may become victims of their own success. As the American people continue their daily lives, the threat of terrorism recedes, and their thoughts turn to the everyday challenges of making a living and raising a family.
But the enemy does not sleep. He continues to plot and plan and target innocent Americans at their most vulnerable. The distasteful truth is that another terrorist attack on American soil is inevitable. That attack is being planned and prepared right now. The government released a list of terrorist attacks and plots that have been thwarted since 11 September 2001. The targets include airliners, financial centers, the Brooklyn Bridge, LAX and JFK airports, a refinery in Wyoming, the Sears Tower and foreign diplomats on American soil. These are attacks that we learned about through surveillance, and that government agencies interdicted and prevented. The Democrats want to make the detection and prevention of these attacks more difficult.
Prior to 9/11, few Democrats or Republicans took seriously the threat of Islamic jihadists. The savage attack on our country changed all that. President Bush has been tireless and resolute in his prosecution of the war on the jihadists, regardless of the shifting winds of Congress, the unsupportive media, or the polls of our short attention span electorate. Most Republicans have supported the President’s efforts, to a greater or lesser degree. Most Democrats have opposed them.
There will be another attack. It is likely to be equal to or greater than 9/11 in its devastation and impact. The fury of a wounded nation will once more be ignited, and Americans will once again focus on the jihadist threat to civilization. And it will be clear, when that happens, which party has been fighting the fight, and which has been making it harder to win.
Lance Thompson lives in Idaho and writes for lowdowncentral.com.
Reader Comments (5)
There is likely to be a "next" attack, but in my opinion, it won't come because of either political party's actions or inactions. It will come as a result of our enemy's resolve.
Good point, Storm. Except it will first be the lackadaisical attitude of Pelosi & Co. that will allow our enemies' resolve to become a reality and disable our country.
Please, Bush ignored crucial data before 911 and then mismanaged his misguided invasion of Iraq so badly that the army is exhausted and the country broke...and you blame the Democratic party?
"President Bush has stated that he will veto legislation that does not grant the immunity, because the cooperation of telecom companies is vital to surveillance that protects this nation from terror attacks. "
Telecom companies would not need immunity if they obeyed the law. GWB wouldn't be concerned about providing immunity to the telecom companies if HE obeyed the law. The current law couldn't be more flexible, because it permits the wire-tappers to apply for a warrant AFTER THE FACT. This is all about another "gift" to the businesses who have helped GWB violate the Constitution. They don't need or deserve immunity IMHO.
Rapchat-
I'm not blaming the Democratic Party. It just happens to be democrats who are now running the country, and they're doing a real bang-down job of it.